Water dam for graves



A; L. MALOTT ET AL.

WATER DAM FOR GRAVES Jan. 24, 1939.

Filed Oct. 9, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 (Ittornegs Jan.. 24, 1939.

Cttornegs Patented Jan. 24, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WATER DAM FOR GRAVES Albert L. Malott and Charles Robertson,

Springfield, Ohio Application October 9, 1937, Serial No. 168,230

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a water dam for freshly dug graves, it more particularly relating vide a water-proof dam of simple and cheap' construction which may be inserted in the grave prior to the burial and which will enclose either a wooden box or a burial vault in which the burial casket is placed, this water-proof dam being of a size to fit the grave and to receive the wooden box or vault.

A further and more specific object of the invention is to provide a dam of the character referred to which may be constructed in the form of a flexible bag of cheap Water-proofV material, such as paper which has been treated to make it Water-proof, and which may be readily folded in compact form for shipping and storage prior to the time that it is to be used in the grave.

A further object of the invention is to provide a rigid form for a flexible foldable dam of the character described which will hold the dam in open position in the grave whereby a vault or other burial casket receptacle may be placed therein.

A further and more specific object is to provide a rigid form of the character referred to which may be readily adjustable to different sizes to accommodate it to different sized .water-proof bags to suit the size of the grave.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a foldable waterproof bag employedin connection with this invention, the bag being shown in open position.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the bag in partly folded position, one of the sides only being shown open.

Fig. 3 is a plan View of the blank of which the bag is formed.

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the rigid form used to hold the bag in open position in the grave.

Fig. 5 is a View partly in elevation and partly in perspective of one of the sides and one of the ends of the form.

Fig. 6 is a view partly in elevation and partly in perspective of another one of the sides and an end of the form; the side in this gure being one that mates With the side shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is an elevation of one of the end members of the form before it has been bent to shape.

Fig. 8 is a view in perspective of upper portions of two of the side members of the form shown in assembled relation, one of the members being Vshown in section.

Fig. 8a is a view in perspective of lower portions of two of the side members of the form shown in assembled relation, one of the -members being shown in section.

Fig. 9 is a Vertical section of upper portions of two of the side members at the point where they are slidably connected together.

`Fig. 9a is a vertical section of lower portions of two of the side members at points where they are connected together. l

Fig. 10 is a view of another end member of the form before it has been bent to shape, this member being a mating one to that shown in Fig. '7.

Fig. 11 is an elevation of one of the side members of the form before it has been bent to shape.

Fig. 12 is an elevation of one of the side members of the form before it has been bentl to shape,

lthis member being a mating one to that shown in Fig. 11.

Fig. 13 is a vertical section taken through a grave near the end thereof showing the moisture-V proof container andY its form also in vertical section; this view showing iny end elevation a metallic vault of a well-known construction.

Fig. 14 is also a Vertical section taken through a grave near the end thereof, showing the moisture-proof Y container placed vdirectly upon va woodenv box whichreceives thecasket, the box being shown in vertical section, and a casket shown therein in end elevation.

Referring first to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, there is shown a preferred form of moistureproof dam, this dam being preferably made in the form of a flexible bag of paper which has been suitably water-proofed, although it may be formed of any other suitable material such as water-proof sheet rubber. This bag has a bottom I, sides 2 and ends 3, the sides and ends being connected by wings 4, a pair of wings being provided at each corner of the blank with a score line 5 therebetween. Where the Wings connect with the sides and ends additional score lines 6 are provided and where the sides and ends connect with the bottom I there are score lines 1. Each of the sides 2 also has score lines 8. By this arrangement the flexible bag can be folded upon itself for shipment and storage and readily opened out for use. When collapsed the ends 3 are folded upon the bottom I and the wings d folded upon the outside of the respective ends, each of the sides being folded upon itself along the score line 8. When the bag is unfolded to the open position shown in Fig. 1, each of the ends 3 and wings 4 of each pair of wings will be connected together in any suitable way such as by staples 9.

The form which is employed to hold the flexible bag in open position in the grave is illustrated in Figs. 4 to 12, inclusive. This form is preferably constructed of sheet metal and is preferably made adjustable to adapt it to different sized graves. The form is open at the top and bottom and in the preferred construction the form has two sides and two ends. Each of the sides is in two sections Il] and II and each of the ends is also in two sections I2 and I3. Each of the side sections IIJ is bent along the dotted lines I4, I5 and I5 (Fig. 1l), to form a laterally-extending channel I6 and has its lower edge bent upon the lines I'I, I8 and I9 to form a laterally-extending channel 23 preferably of larger dimensions than the channel I6. Each of the side members II has its upper edge bent upon the dotted line 2I to form a lateral flange 22 and'has its lower edge bent upon the dotted line 23 to form a lateral flange 24, (Fig. l2), the flange 24 being of greater width than the flange 22.

Each of the end members I2 has its upper edges similarly bent upon the dotted lines 25, 26 and 21 and its lower edge bent upon the lines 28, 29 and 30 (Fig. 7) to form laterally-extending channels 3l and 32, and each of the end members I3 has its upper and lower edges bent on the lines 33 and 34V (Fig. 10) to form flanges 35 and 3B. The flanges 22 and 24 of the side sections II are slidably mounted in the channels I8 and 20 of the side sections I0 so that the length of the form may be suitably adjusted and the flanges 35 and 36 of the end sections I3 vare slidably mounted in the channels 3| and 32 of the mating end members I2,so that the width of the form may be adjusted.

The side members I0 and II and the end members I2 and I3 are hinged together by ordinary strap hinges 31 to hold the parts in the open position shown in Fig. 4 but permit the form to be folded for transportation or storage.

In operation, when the devices are to be used in a grave G which is to receive a grave vault V such as shown in Fig. 13, the metallic form is used to hold the flexible water-proof bag in position in the grave. In this case the metallic form is inserted in the bag before the form and bag are placed in the grave and after the casket has been lowered in the grave and the upper portion of the vault lowered and locked to position on the base the metallic form is withdrawn for further use, leaving the water-proof bag in the grave. If, however, a metallic or other form of vault is not used to receive the casket but merely a wooden box such as shown at B in Fig. 14 to receive the casket C, then the metallic form may be dispensed with, if desired, and the waterproof bag placed upon the box before the box is placed in the grave.

Referring to Fig. 13, the bag and its form is each made of a depth sufcient to insure the darnming of any water which may be in the grave, the bag being preferably somewhat deeper than the form so as to permit the upper edges 2' of the side to be bent over the upper edges of the sides of the form to keep the sides of the bag from sagging. As shown in Fig. yi4 the upper edges 2 of the sides of the bag are also bent over the box B for the same purpose.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

l. In a device of the character described, a

member formed of water-proof material closed at its bottom, sides and ends adapted to be fitted in a grave and having an open top to receive the casket, said member being of a collapsible character, and means insertable therein to hold the member in open position.

2. In a device of the character described, a member formed of water-proof material closed at its bottom, sides andends adapted to be fitted in a grave and having an open top to receive the casket, said member being formed oi flexible water-proof material adapted to be folded for transportation and storageand a rigid form upon which said member is placed to hold said member in open position in the grave, said rigid form being open at the top and bottom to permit removal thereof from the grave after the casket has been deposited.

3. In a device of the character described, a member formed of flexible water-proof material having a bottom, sides and ends but openrat the top, said member being tted in a grave to act as a dam against the entrance of water in that portion of the grave which receives the casket, and a rigid form to receive said member to hold it in open position in the grave.

ALBERT L. MALOT'I'. CHARLES E. ROBERTSON. 

